Draft attachment for motor-vehicles



L. w. WORSHAM. DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLICATIONFlLEDJAN-ZO; 1920.

1,378,575. v r w'1z1 QU-ISiW. WORSHAM, or-Hons'rom TExAs."

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FOR5MOTOR-VEHICIJESE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 17, 1921.

Application filed January 20, 1920. Serial No. 352,820.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS W. WoRsHAM, acitizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county ofHarris and State of Texas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Draft Attachments for Motor-Vehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a draftattachment for motor vehicles.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed by means of which the vehicle may pull itself free when itstraction wheels have become embedded in a soft or muddy road.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed which may be readily applied to a motor vehicle and which maybe utilized by the driver in the seat of the vehicle through a draftcable employed.

A further feature of, the invention resides in the provision of anappliance of the character described, which is simple in constructionand which may be cheaply mapufactured and easily applied to the vehic e.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particularrelation to certain novel features of construction, operation andarrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specificationand illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1, shows an enlarged side elevation of the motor of the vehiclemounted in the frame thereof and showing the device applied to thevehicle,

Fig. 2, is a fragmentary front elevation of the vehicle,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view thereof,

Fig. 4, shows an enlarged plan view of a drum employed, and V Fig. 5shows an enlarged front end view thereof showing the bracket therefor.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals ofreference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral 1designates the m0tor,.and the numeral 2 refers to the radiator. Theforward end of the motor crank shaft is formed into a clutch member 3which is alined with the crank bearing 4 throughthe lower part of theradiator. Extending through this hearing there is a short shaft 5, whoseouter end has the drum 6 fixed thereon and whose inner end is formed toengage with said clutch member 3. This shaft is normally held out ofengagement with said clutch member by means of the coil spring 7 whichsurrounds said shaft and-which presses against the inner end of the drum6. A U-shaped bracket 8 is secured to the front end of the vehicle andembraces said drum 6 and this bracket has a bearing 9 provided toreceive the end of the crank 10. The outer end of the shaft 5 is formedwith ratchet teeth and the adjacent end of the crank 10 iscorrespondingly formed, said teeth intermeshing to clutch the crank withsaid shaft when it is desired to rotate the shaft. When it is desired tostart the motor the crank 10 is applied in the usual way and the shaft 5is forced inwardly into engagament with the clutch member 3, the drum 6having sufficient play between the bracket 8 and the vehicle body topermit this movement When the crank is now turned the motor will startin the usual manner. vehicle become stuck on muddy or slippery roads, acable 11 is employed. This cable is woundaround the drum 6 and one endis passed around the pulley 12, which is supported by a suitable bracket13 attached to one side'of the vehicle frame, and said end of said cableis then fastened to a stationary object in front of the car. The otherend of the cable is passed through the eye 14 at the top of the radiatorand extends back to wlthin reach of the driver. is then forced intoengagement with the clutch member 3 and secured therein in some suitablemanner, as by means of a pin 15. The motor is then started through theinstrumentality of the crank 10, thus rotating the drum 6. A pullexerted by the driver on the cable, causes same to grip and hold saiddrum and the vehicle will thereby be forced to move forwardly until ithas freed itself and has reached firm road.

What I claim is The combination with a motor vehicle having a motor, theforward end of whose crank shaft is formed into a clutch member, a drumshaft, one end of which is adapted to be connected with and disconnectedfrom said clutch member, a drum fixed to said shaft, a pulley carried bysaid Should the The shaft 5- vehicle, a cable bearing also carried byname to thisspecifieation in the presence szud vehlcle, a cable Woundaround sard of two subscrlblng W1tnesses. drum, one end of whlch passesaround sald.v

pulley and is attached to a stationary object A LOUIS WORSHAM' 5 and theother end of which passes through Wltnessesz aid cable bearing and isfree. WM. A. CATHEY,

In testimony whereof I have signed my ALBERTA ALLEN.

